During the last 15 years the Graduate Faculty in Communication have obtained more than $30 million in federal grants in health communication, the doctoral Program has been ranked 6th in the country in health communication (applied communication) by the National Communication Association and four of our graduate students have been awarded prestigious National Cancer Institute internships. At least one-third of our Graduate Faculty Members are actively involved in health communication research.

The Certificate Program is aimed primarily at individuals interested in developing specialized knowledge and research expertise in health communication that can be applied within both academic and non-academic settings. Students are expected to have a background in social or behavioral science prior to entering the program.

The Graduate Certificate in Instructional Communication will be advantageous for community members and professionals who are employed in an educational, organization, or healthcare setting. It will also be appropriate for current graduate students in diverse colleges who can complement their degree wtih expertise in instructional communication. In order to earn a certificate in instructional communication, students must successfully complete 12 hours of coursework. They may choose any combination of the following courses to tailor their specific instruction context and professional needs:

The Graduate Certificate in Risk Sciences is designed for professionals who are tasked with risk and crisis planning or might have to communicate with internal or external publics in a crisis, but have never had formal education to guide their actions. The coursework, which can be completed in person or online, will provide foundational understanding of risk and crisis communication and practical application of knowledge. Outcomes of the risk communication and crisis communication courses may include research studies, risk communication campaigns, organization risk assessment, crisis communication plans, crisis communication assessments, or grant proposals. The training and consulting course addresses theoretical and pragmatic issues of training, consulting, and teambuilding. The knowledge management course focuses on how to leverage knowledge assets to more quickly recognize risks and address crises as they emerge.